Courtney Thorne-Smith has alleged she was asked to wear a ‘sexy negligee’ for a film while still a teenager.
The now 56-year-old actress played Alison Parker on the soap Melrose Place and Georgia Thomas on the comedy Ally McBeal, but it was an earlier role, where she felt ‘trapped’. Although, she does not disclose exactly which film she is making the allegations about.
Aged 17, Courtney was booked for one of her first movies. Cast alongside her was a man in his thirties, who played her romantic interest.
She opened up about the incident on the podcast Still the Place, which Courtney presents with her former Melrose Place co-stars Daphne Zuniga and Laura Leighton who played Jo Reynolds and Sydney Andrews respectively.
‘We did sleep together in the script, and I wore one of his button-down shirts afterwards,’ she recalled.
‘I got to set that day and there’s a really sexy negligee in my room.’
She claims to have approached the director to raise concerns. Courtney added that she had a no-nudity clause, and felt that because of the way the garment was cut, something may show.
‘I was 17 with a 30-year-old. I knew it was kind of off, but the shirt made it feel alright,’ she said.
Courtney added: ‘The producer came into my room, and said the whole crew was talking about what a baby I was being.’
She escalated the concern to her agent, who travelled to the set, for extra support, which helped her to advocate for herself.
‘They trapped me,’ she stated, before summarising: ‘I’m so grateful I had that ability to stand up for myself at that age. I’m amazed, actually. I had that ability at that age.’
Courtney’s big break came in 1992 when she was cast as Alison in Melrose Place – a role she played for five years.
Her TV roles have continued, including on Two and a Half Men, in which she played Alan Harper (Jon Cryer)’s girlfriend, Lyndsey McElroy, for 52 episodes.
She has starred in many films throughout her career including Lucas, which also featured Winona Ryder, Corey Haim, and Charlie Sheen, Welcome to 18, Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise, Summer School, and Side Out.
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Courtney is married to marketing agency owner Roger Fishman, and they share a son together.